Arch support pad



Nev. 16, 1937. M ILVER v 2,099,577

ARCH SUPPORT PAD Filed July 30, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 16, 1937. I M. s.SILVER fi fi ARCH SUPPORT PAD Filed July so, less 2 Sheets-Sheet W L vifif w 3 w 5 jf w A MM Patented Nov. 16, 1937 4 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to arch support pads and is exemplified herein ina support pad for the metatarsal arch.

Heretofore, arch supports have generally been 5: made ofmaterials suchas sponge rubber or felt but these structures'have all beenobjectionable in certain respects. Sponge rubber pads have been open tothe objection which generally'exists to having rubber in contact withthe foot. Covering the sponge rubber with leather is not entirelysatisfactory because the leather is deleteriously affected by thenatural perspiration of thefoot.

The use of felt material generally gives the best results becausefeltabsorbs the perspiration of the foot but felt pads are very expensive tomanufacture. The proper shaping of the pads requirescostly skiving andbuffing operations especially in metatarsal pads in whichbevelled thinedges are necessary. The cost of theseoperations is largely due to thefact thateach pad must, be separatelygtreated. Padszmade entirelyofrfelt, however; are apt to lose their. shape, and therefore, .theirefiectiveness, through condensation duerto'continued pressure. I

The principal object of my-invention is the provision of an arch supportpad which comprises a combination-of felt an'd'irubber in which thedesirable qualities of thematerials; are fully utilized to the exclusionof the-objectionable features'.

Another object to produce an arch. support which: is eflicient, durable,and' which can be made at a very low cost.

Other objects of the invention will be described hereinafter;

My invention contemplates an arch support pad having a permanentlyresilient body portion provided. with atop: surface of fibrous material40 such: as-feltor similar material. The'body portion istof rubberordrubber composition, preferably sponge rubber, which imparts to thesupport the necessary-resiliency and the covering of felt affordsv asmooth surface for engaging the sole 45 of-the footand atthe same timeabsorbs any perspiration exuding from the foot.

Preferably, the body portion conforms in shape and contour to the shapeand contour desired in-thefinishedpadgand the top layer is of unimayhave an approximately smooth continuous top surface, the peripheral edgeof the top layer is embedded within the marginal portion of the bodyportion.

It will be observed that by the combination of the two materials, anarch support pad constructed in accordance with my invention presents tothe foot a felt surface and thereby possesses all the advantages of apad made entirely of felt, yet at a much lower cost. Since the bodyportion is of rubber or rubber composition, the pad has the permanentresiliency of one made entirely of that material without itsobjectionable features.

In the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustrating theprinciple of my inven-v tion, there is shown a support pad for themetatarsal arch constructed in accordance with my invention, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of the pad; Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same; Fig. 3 is a bottom p1an view; Fig. 4 is a central longitudinalsectional view of the same; Fig. 5 is a. plan view of the felt blankforming the top layer of the pad; Fig. 6 is a side elevationof the same;Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of one form of staple for fastening thepad in a shoe; Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of one form of mold andcover suitable for making the circular pad of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive,the parts being shown in open position; Fig. 9 is a side elevation ofthe same, the parts being shown in closed position; Fig. 10 is asectional View ofthe mold closed on lines Ill-Ill in Fig. 8; and Fig. 11is a similar cross sectional view of the cover having a mass of uncuredrubber fastened to its inner surface by a staple illustrating the methodof embedding a staple in the body portion of the arch support.

Referring to the drawings showing my invention embodied in a support padfor the metatarsal arch, the preferred form of pad comprises a bodyportion Ill and a top layer l2. The body portion may be made of anysuitable permanently resilient material such as rubber composition,preferably sponge rubber, and the top layer of a fibrousmoisture-absorbing material, such as felt or similar material.

The body portion In is of the contour and shape desired for the contourand shape of the support and the top layer is preferably of uniformthickness but of slightly smaller area than the area of the top surfaceof the body portion. As shown, the body portion in plan is somewhatoblate and is generally in the form of a knoll H withv the thickestportion off-center, the top surface merging gradually into a thinperipheral edge IS. The bottom surface I! of the pad is fiat forengaging the inner sole of a shoe. The marginal portions of the body Illare, however, built up to enclose the peripheral edge I8 of the toplayer l2, so that the top surface of the support is approximately smoothand continuous from its highest point to its thin edge 16.

For fastening the arch support to the inner sole of a shoe, it may, ifdesired, be provided with a staple of any suitable form, the head ofwhich is preferably embedded in the upper part of the body Ill adjacentthe top layer, with the prongs of the staple projecting out the, bottomface of the support.

24, which is shown in Fig. 4 embedded in the body portion I0. I

The arch support of my invention may be made in a mold which may be ofany suitable construction, and one such as shown in Fig. 8' of thedrawings, comprising a mold 30 and a cover 32. Both parts are in theformof plates of steel or other suitable material. In its top face, the moldis provided'with a depression or cavity 34, of a shape corresponding tothe shape of the arch support in reverse position. Surrounding thecavity is a'channel 36 adapted toreceive during the molding process theoverflow from the cavity of rubber composition. The top face of the moldis also provided with a plurality, preferably three, of projecting roundlugs 38 adapted to fit into circular holes 46 in the cover 32 forregistering the cover inproper position upon the plate. To permit theinsertion of a tool'for forcing the cover off the mold at the end of amolding operation, the lattermay have cut-out portions 42 at one or morecorners.

In forming the arch support a blank [2 is first cut from the fibroussheet material which is to be used for the top layer of the pad. Thisblank is then positioned centrally on the floorof the cavity 34 in themold and since it is of slightly smaller area than the area of thecavity, there is a narrow marginal space between the peripheral edges ofthe blank and the cavity. The cavity is then filled with uncured rubbercomposition, which may be of any composition which will produce, whenvulcanized, a permanently soft and resilient body. Preferably, however,I use a composition which Will produce, when vulcanized, sponge rubberof fine grain, that is, having small, minute interstices. Thiscomposition, when uncured, is generally more or less plastic and iseasily handled. A suflicient amount is placed in the cavity to insurethe complete filling of the cavity when it is compressed. The cover 32is then placed in position on the mold 323 and the parts are subjectedto pressure and heat in any suitable steam vulcanizing press. With theordinary rubber compound, a heat treatment of approximately five minuteswill generally be found sufficient, but where the composition is adaptedto produce a sponge rubber, this period will have to be increased toapproximately twenty minutes. In the vulcanizing step,'the heat andpressure cause the composition to fiow in the mold around the peripheraledge of the top layer and to unite with the inner face of the said layerso that it and the body portion are bonded together into a unitaryintegral structure. Since the peripheral edge of the body portionextends beyond the edge of the top layer, it is possible to get a sharpfeather edge'onthe pad, and the embedd ng ofthe In the drawings (Fig.7),- there is shown a staple suitable for this purpose j having atriangular head 22 and three prongs top layer in the body portionresults in the pad having a top surface which is approximately smoothand continuous over its entire surface.

When the support pad is to be provided with a fastening staple, theforegoing method is modified by using the staple to fasten the uncuredcomposition which is' to be molded to form the body portion of the pad,to the inner face of the cover instead of placing it in the cavity. Theinner face of the cover is provided with a series of holes 44 forreceiving the prongs of the staple. These holes 44 are of such diameterthat the prongs of the staple fit snugly therein and they 7 cover 32, asshown in Fig. 11, by passing the prongs through the composition and theninserting them in the holes 44 in the cover. These holes are positionedaccurately sbthat when the cover is placed upon the 'mold, the head ofthe rivet will lie in its proper position in the cavity adjacent the toplayer l2. When the pad is vulcanized, the staple is firmly embeddedtherein and cannot be separated therefrom.

In use, the pad may be fastened in any de sired position tothe innersole of a shoe by pressing the projecting prongs of the staple into theinner sole, or by cementing the bottom face of the pad to the inner soleif it is not provided with a staple.

It will be observed that the arch support of my invention is ofsimple'construction and that the method of making it conduces'to rapidpro duction at a low cost. Although I have shown the mold as being oneadapted for making a single arch support at a time, it will beunderstood that in practice a larger mold will be used with amultiplicity of cavities for producing a large number a on eachoperation.

Although I have described my invention as embodied in a pad for supportof the metatarsal arch, it is tobe understood that this is merelyillustrative and that my'invention may be embodied in various otherforms of arch support such as longitudinal supports, all within thepurview of the following claims.

' What I claim is:

1. An arch support pad comprising a body portion of resilient, softsponge rubber having a thin peripheral edge and a top layer of feltmaterial of uniform thickness, said top layer being of slightly lessarea than the area of the top surface of said body portion and havingits peripheral edge enclosed by the marginal portion of said bodyportion. 7 2. An arch support pad comprising a knolled body portion ofsoft, resilient sponge rubber composition having a thin peripheral edgeand a top layer of fibrous moisture absorbing material such as felt ofapproximately uniform thickness, said layer being of slightly less areathan the area of the top surface of said body portion and its peripheraledge being embedded in the'marginal portion of said body portion toprovide the pad with an approximately smooth top surface. I

3. An arch support pad comprislnga body portion of soft, resilientsponge rubber and a top layer of fibrous moisture absorbing material,said body portion being of variable thickness and having a flat bottomand a thin peripheral edge and said top layer being of slightly lessarea than the area of the top surface of said body portion and havingits peripheral edge embedded in said body portion for providing said padwith an approximately smooth top surface. I

4. An arch support pad comprising a body portion of soft, resilientrubber composition having a thin peripheral edge, a top layer of fibrousmoisture absorbing material of approximately uniform thickness, saidlayer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface ofsaid body portion and its peripheral edge being embedded in the marginalportion of said body portion to provide the pad with an approximatelysmooth top surface, and a staple for fastening said pad in a shoe, thehead of said staple being embedded in said body portion with its prongsprojecting out the bottom face thereof.

5. A metatarsal pad comprising a body portion of soft resilientspongerubber, said body portion being oval in outline and of knoll form with aflat bottom face and a thin peripheral edge and a top layer of uniformthickness of fibrous moisture absorbing material such as felt, said toplayer being of slightly less area than the area of the top surface ofsaid body portion and having its peripheral edge embedded in themarginal portion of said body portion for providing said pad with anapproximately smooth top surface.

MYER S. SILVER.

